memory_alphafandomcom_it-20200214-history
William T. Riker
William Thomas Riker è un noto ufficiale della Flotta Stellare, forse meglio conosciuto per la sua lunga assegnazione come primo ufficiale sotto il Capitano Jean-Luc Picard a bordo della , e più tardi della . Nel 2379, egli finalmente accetta una promozione a capitano e viene assegnato alla . Nel 2361, un incidente al teletrasporto si risolve nel duplicato di William T. Riker, l'uno geneticamente indistinguibile dall'altro con personalità e memoria identiche fino al momento della duplicazione. L'altro è conosciuto come Thomas Riker. Primi anni William Thomas Riker è nato nel 2335 da Kyle e Betty Riker a Valdez, Alaska, sulla Terra. ( ) I suoi lontani antenati erano del continente del Nord America, compreso il Colonnello Thaddius Riker, che combatté nella Guerra Civile Americana. ( ) :'' Il romanzo Double or Nothing della collana Double Helix ha affermato che un altro antenato di Riker fu un importante statista della prima Federazione.'' :Il secondo nome di Will, Thomas, non fu stabilito fino a , sebbene la sua seconda iniziale fosse data. Prima di questo, il romanzo ''Imzadi ha dichiarato erroneamente che il suo secondo nome è Thelonius, per rispecchiare il suo amore per il jazz, probabilmente alla maniera di Thelonius Monk.'' Betty morì quando Will aveva solo due anni, lasciando suo padre solo ad allevarlo. ( ) I Riker rimasero in Alaska per desiderio di Betty. L'unica cosa che teneva in piedi Kyle era Will, ma egli non sentì di poter discutere la situazione con lui, anche quando Will fu più grande. Le memorie della presenza di Betty nella loro casa in Alaska erano altresì dolorose per entrambi. Questo trauma iniziale creò una frattura tra i due Riker che sarebbe durata trent'anni. ( ) :Il nome di Betty è visibile nella biografia di Riker in . I fatti che circondano la sua morte non furono mai rivelati, sebbene sembri insinuare che sia avvenuta per una malattia. Quando Will per la prima volta iniziò la scuola, disse a tutti i suoi nuovi amici che sua madre era viva. Alla fine, egli raccontò la storia così spesso che cominciò a credere alla bugia. Presto, la sua insegnante venne a sapere di questo problema, e sia lei sia Kyle dovettero parlare a Will e fargli capire che sua madre era morta e non sarebbe tornata. Will pianse l'intera notte seguente, ma più tardi si rese conto che fu un importante passo nell'accettare la morte di sua madre. ( ) Comunque, i rapporti di Will con Kyle continuarono a deteriorarsi nella sua prima adolescenza. Egli era spesso lasciato a prendersi cura di se stesso, imparando tra l'altro a cucinare. ( ) Nel 2344, i due andarono in gita a pescare. Will fu in grado di catturare un grande pesce, ma Kyle insistette per tirarlo su con il mulinello. Questo incidente infastidì Will per molti anni. Con suo padre, praticava anche anbo-jytsu. Kyle ammise che quando Will aveva dodici anni, le sue abilità erano superiori a quelle della sua età. Will non sapeva che l'unica ragione per cui egli perdeva sempre era che suo padre usava una mossa illegale chiamata hachidan kiritsu. Kyle abbandonò completamente Will nel 2350, quando il figlio aveva quindici anni. Will mantenne un risentimento contro suo padre per i seguenti quindici anni. ( ) Accademia della Flotta Stellare Will entrò all'Accademia della Flotta Stellare nel 2353. Durante il periodo all'Accademia, il suo supervisore fu un Vulcaniano, che occupava il tempo a memorizzare le schede personali di tutti i cadetti. ( ) Paul Rice era un intimo amico di Riker mentre era in Accademia. ( ) Durante una simulazione di battaglia contro un avversario Tholiano, Riker calcolò un punto cieco dei sensori del loro vascello e si occultò con il punto cieco. Questa ingegnosa strategia tattica fu annotata sul suo stato di servizio. ( ) Alla laurea nel 2357, Riker si classificò ottavo nella sua classe. Egli si propose grandi traguardi, e sperò di diventare capitano prima dei trentacinque anni. ( ) Gli inizi della carriera nella Flotta Stellare La Pegasus Sette mesi dopo la laurea, il primo incarico del Guardiamarina William Riker fu sulla sotto il comando di Erik Pressman. Egli era l'ufficiale conn della nave, e il suo giovane aspetto gli guadagnò il soprannome di "Ensign Babyface," coniato dal compagno d'equipaggio il Tenente Boylen. ( ) Phil Wallace fu un altro degli amici di Riker a bordo della Pegasus. ( ) Fresco di Accademia, Riker era tuttavia piuttosto serio nel suo lavoro. Lealtà e obbedienza al suo ufficiale in comando erano altresì la priorità più importante. Questo atteggiamento indusse Riker ad agire contro i principi della Prima Direttiva durante una crisi a bordo della nave. Il Capitano Pressman stava illegalmente testando un prototipo di dispositivo di occultamento interfasico a bordo della Pegasus. Questo progetto top-secret era in violazione del Trattato di Algeron, senza contare l'estremo pericolo per l'equipaggio, e indusse molti ufficiali della Pegasus ad ammutinarsi contro Pressman. Riker fu l'unico ufficiale di plancia a difendere il capitano, prendendo un phaser e fomentando un costante combattimento a fuoco per tutto il tragitto verso una capsula di salvataggio. Solo pochi altri dell'equipaggio si unirono a Riker e a Pressman, e la Pegasus apparentemente esplose, con settantuno marinai a bordo, diversi minuti dopo che la capsula di salvataggio di Riker fu lanciata. Benchè Pressman avesse lodato Riker per la sua indiscutibile lealtà, Riker cominciò ad avere dubbi se avesse o meno preso la decisione giusta. Il Judge Advocate General della Flotta Stellare più tardi investigò sull'incidente alla Pegasus ma i superstiti nascosero tutte le informazioni sul prototipo del dispositivo di occultamento. Si fu soltanto in grado di concludere che c'era stato una specie di ammutinamento a bordo della Pegasus prima della sua distruzione e molto probabilmente i superstiti non dicevano tutta la verità; si consigliò inoltre una ulteriore indagine. Per la natura sensibile dell'esperimento del dispositivo di occultamento, l'Intelligence della Flotta Stellare classificò in fretta il rapporto e nessun supplemento d'indagine fu mai condotto. ( ) :La laurea di Riker all'Accademia della Flotta Stellare e l'assegnazione alla ''Pegasus sono descritte nel libro Deny Thy Father della collana The Lost Era.'' Su Betazed A seguito dell'incidente della Pegasus, Will fu assegnato alla base sul pianeta Betazed. Mentre si trovava lì, incontrò Deanna Troi. I due iniziarono una relazione che durò parecchi anni. ( ) Una volta, agli inizi della carriera, Riker ebbe bisogno di indossare un costume piumato durante una missione diplomatica su Armus IX. In modo simile, egli indossò una pelliccia per incontrarsi con i capi del concilio su Kabatris. ( ) La Potemkin Nel 2361, Riker fu promosso a tenente e assegnato alla . A bordo della Potemkin, egli sviluppò una tattica che richiedeva l'uso di un polo magnetico di un pianeta e l'abbassamento di tutti i sistemi della nave per confondere i sensori di un vascello nemico. ( ) Più tardi nel 2361, Riker comandò una squadra di sbarco su Nervala IV per salvare i ricercatori bloccati nell'avamposto sul pianeta. Riker fu l'ultimo a risalire. Distorsioni atmosferiche minacciarono di dissolvere lo schema di Riker, così il capo del teletrasporto della Potemkin compensò creando un secondo raggio di limitazione. Fu necessario un unico raggio per rimaterializzare Riker, così il secondo raggio fu sospeso. L'equipaggio della Potemkin non si rese conto che il secondo raggio si era, di fatto, riflesso di rimando sulla superficie del pianeta, materializzando un altro William Riker. Questo duplicato rimase bloccato sulla superficie per i successivi otto anni. Riker ricevette una promozione a tenente comandante per l'"eccezionale valore" mostrato durante la missione. Egli fu in breve assegnato alla come primo ufficiale. ( ) :Non è mai stato rivelato quale postazione egli occupasse a bordo della ''Potemkin, ma i materiali del copione suggeriscono che potrebbe aver occupato la posizione di ufficiale alle operazioni.'' La Hood L'ufficiale in comando di Riker sulla Hood era il Capitano Robert DeSoto. Il suo servizio a bordo della nave fu esemplare, anche a dispetto di un incidente nel quale Riker rifiutò di permettere al Capitano DeSoto di teletrasportarsi in un luogo ostile sul pianeta Altair III. ( ) A Riker fu offerto il suo primo comando, quello della sfortunata , nel 2364. Comunque, egli rifiutò quella posizione per una lontana più allettante offerta. ( ) A bordo della USS Enterprise L'Enterprise-D Il primo anno ]] William Riker fu promosso a comandante e primo ufficiale della USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, varata di recente, nel 2364. Egli era stato trasportato sul pianeta Deneb IV dalla Hood, e incrociò la Enterprise sul pianeta. La nave aveva subito una separazione del disco dopo essere stata minacciata da un’entità conosciuta come Q. Riker fece rapporto a bordo della sezione motori e fu informato sulla situazione corrente; gli fu quindi ordinato di effettuare un difficile e inconsueto attracco manuale con la sezione a disco, che egli condusse molto bene. Durante la missione a Farpoint, Riker fu a capo di parecchie squadre di sbarco, le quali scoprirono che la Stazione Farpoint era una entità vivente, intrappolata dai Bandi per i loro fini egoistici. ( ) Q era talmente affascinato da Riker che lo ritenne degno di ricevere i poteri del Q Continuum. Q scommise con il Continuum che Riker avrebbe accettato il dono, e intrappolò l'Enterprise mentre era per strada, diretta verso un disastro in una colonia mineraria su Quadra Sigma III. La maggior parte degli ufficiali senior furono quindi portati in un mondo d'illusione che si rivelò mortale. Riker usò i poteri appena ottenuti per salvare l'equipaggio dagli alieni ostili che abitavano la fantasia, riportando in vita nel contempo il Tenente Worf e Wesley Crusher. Picard era preoccupato per questi eventi, e chiese a Riker di non usare le sue capacità soprannaturali. Comunque, Riker cambiò idea dopo aver rifiutato di salvare una ragazzina uccisa nel disastro. Egli andò in collera con Picard, sentendo di aver represso le proprie capacità e causato la morte della ragazza. Un'altra tentazione di Q convinse Riker a esaudire parecchi desideri dell'equipaggio dell'Enterprise: a Geordi La Forge diede una vista normale; per Worf creò una donna Klingon come compagna; fece crescere Wesley fino all'età adulta. Fu sul punto di trasformare Data in un Umano, ma questi rifiutò l'offerta, sentendo che sarebbe stata solo una mera illusione. Come Picard aveva predetto, il resto dell'equipaggio respinse i doni di Riker per la loro falsità intrinseca. Riker imparò la lezione, e i poteri sparirono una volta che Q fu richiamato nel Continuum. ( ) La Enterprise fu rubata dalla Base Stellare 74 da una razza chiamata i Binari. La loro società basata sul computer era sull'orlo del collasso, dopo che la stella Beta Magellan era diventata una supernova e aveva danneggiato il loro computer centrale. Essi avevano bisogno della Enterprise per ripararlo. L'equipaggio evacuò, ma Riker e Picard rimasero a bordo, infatuati da un programma del ponte ologrammi creato dai Binari come diversivo. I due riuscirono a riprendere il controllo della Enterprise e salvare il pianeta Bynar dalla distruzione. ( ) Riker venne coinvolto nella cospirazione aliena che infiltrò il Comando della Flotta Stellare nel 2364. Il posseduto Ammiraglio Gregory Quinn tentò di infestarlo con un parassita neurale per avere un alieno operativo a bordo della Enterprise, ma Riker resistette. Egli lottò con Quinn e fu messo fuori combattimento, ma fu in grado di allertare il resto del personale sulla situazione. La Dr. Beverly Crusher riuscì a rendere inabile Quinn con un phaser, e quindi determinò la natura del parassita neurale. Ella impiantò un falso parassita in Riker, che poi si teletrasportò sulla Terra, proprio in tempo per impedire che gli ufficiali della Flotta Stellare infestati cooptassero il Capitano Picard. Egli e Picard riuscirono a trovare la creatura madre, ospitata nel Tenente Comandante Dexter Remmick, e a distruggerla prima che la cospirazione aliena si sviluppasse oltre. ( ) Note di combattimento Riker è un tattico ineccepibile ed ha inventato parecchie strategie mentre serviva a bordo di varie navi stellari. Egli evidentemente si è fatto la reputazione di usare soluzioni non ortodosse; come Data, il Secondo Ufficiale della Enterprise, ha stimato, egli ha usato tattiche tradizionali solo nel 21 per cento dei casi. Nel 2365, a Riker fu dato il comando temporaneo della antiquata , durante una esercitazione di combattimento per prepararsi alla invasione dei Borg. La Hathaway stava combattendo con la Enterprise in una simulazione, ideata per testare la risposta di un equipaggio quando si fosse trovato di fronte un nemico notevolmente superiore. L'equipaggio di Riker era riuscito a trasformare la malandata Hathaway in qualcosa di pilotabile, oltre a metterla in grado di mandare a segno qualche colpo contro la Enterprise, nelle fasi iniziali della battaglia; tuttavia il test divenne mortale quando intervenne un marauder Ferengi. La Enterprise credette che i Ferengi fossero un trucco olografico ideato per distogliere l'attenzione dalla Hathaway, e perciò non alzò gli scudi. I Ferengi aprirono il fuoco, danneggiando le armi e gli scudi della Enterprise; quindi chiesero che la Enterprise cedesse la custodia della Hathaway, poichè avevano erroneamente supposto che la Hathaway avesse preziosi segreti della Federazione a bordo. Allo scopo di raggirare i Ferengi, Riker escogitò un piano per far entrare la Hathaway in curvatura e nascondersi in un punto cieco sopra il polo magnetico di un pianeta, mentre l'Enterprise sparava torpedo fotonici; in questo modo ai Ferengi sembrò che la Hathaway fosse stata distrutta. Worf quindi ingannò i sensori dei Ferengi, facendo credere che parecchi vascelli della Flotta Stellare fossero in rotta per intercettarli, e li mise così in fuga. ( ) Nel 2366, i Borg lanciarono la prima invasione della Federazione. Una specialista sui Borg, il Comandante Shelby, fu assegnata alla Enterprise. I due comandanti si scontrarono sul protocollo, e Riker ebbe la sensazione che Shelby stesse cercando di ingraziarsi il Capitano Picard per dimostrare le proprie qualità come primo ufficiale. Picard fu infine rapito dai Borg e assimilato, diventando Locutus dei Borg. Riker fu lasciato al comando, e affrontò la difficile decisione di scegliere se usare contro il cubo Borg una nuova arma, il disco del deflettore, che avrebbe distrutto la nave insieme a Picard. Quando un tentativo di salvataggio fallì, Riker diede l'ordine di usare l'arma. ( ) Comunque, le conoscenze assimilate del Capitano Picard diedero ai Borg un vantaggio, ed essi modificarono i propri scudi per resistere all'arma. Mentre i Borg proseguivano sulla rotta per la Terra, l'Ammiraglio J.P. Hanson promosse sul campo Riker a capitano. Riker scelse Shelby come nuovo primo ufficiale. Sebbene i loro rapporti avessero avuto un inizio difficoltoso, Riker si rese conto che lavoravano molto bene insieme e che Shelby possedeva le conoscenze necessarie per pianificare un combattimento vittorioso contro i Borg. Tuttavia Riker era ancora riluttante ad accettare la responsabilità del comando e continuava a interrogarsi sulle proprie capacità, ma alla luce del rapimento di Picard. Guinan, una vecchia e intima amica di Picard, lo raggiunse nella saletta tattica e riuscì a convincerlo che aveva un unico modo, non soltanto per vincere contro i Borg, ma anche per salvare lo stesso Picard: smettere di chiedersi cosa avrebbe fatto il suo capitano. E indicando la poltrona vuota aggiunse che lì c’era un solo capitano, e che quella poltrona ora era sua. Mentre Riker ponderava il suo nuovo ruolo come capitano, la Enterprise fu riparata dopo l'uso dell'arma del deflettore e viaggiò in curvatura per un rendezvous con la flotta a Wolf 359. Arrivò poco dopo la terribile Battaglia di Wolf 359. A questo punto, Riker formulò un piano per recuperare il Capitano Picard, nella speranza che i Borg avrebbero fermato il loro avvicinamento alla Terra con la perdita di Locutus. La Enterprise raggiunse i Borg e separò la sezione a disco. Picard era stato informato di questo piano prima di essere assimilato, e sapeva che la sezione motori era l'unica in pericolo. Mentre i Borg erano concentrati nel loro attacco, la sezione a disco lanciò una navetta per trasportare Data e Worf. I due si teletrasportarono a bordo del cubo e riportarono Picard sulla Enterprise. I Borg furono momentaneamente confusi, ma proseguirono sulla rotta. Data e la Dr. Crusher quindi capirono che l'interconnessione dei Borg dava loro accesso all'intero Collettivo attraverso Picard. Data si collegò a Locutus ed ebbe accesso alla struttura di comando dei Borg, mentre il cubo entrava nell'orbita della Terra. Il tentativo inziale di disattivare i Borg fu inutile, e Riker si preparò a speronare il cubo Borg con la Enterprise, nella speranza che la collisione avrebbe danneggiato il vascello. Picard riuscì a suggerire a Data di "far dormire" i Borg, ossia di ordinare loro di rigenerarsi; poiché questo era un comando a bassa priorità, Data riuscì facilmente a inserirlo nel sistema della Collettività. Il ciclo di rigenerazione terminò in una reazione a catena, e il cubo esplose, tagliando il collegamento di Picard e restituendogli l'umanità. Riker ritornò alla propria assegnazione come primo ufficiale dell'Enterprise, a seguito della liberazione di Picard. ( ) Durante la Guerra Civile Klingon del 2368, Riker fu posto temporaneamente al comando della . La nave faceva parte di una armata comandata dalla Enterprise-D, che avrebbe dovuto "tessere" una rete tachionica di individuazione per rivelare l'aiuto Romulano alla Casa di Duras e quindi la sua ingerenza negli affari interni dell'Impero Klingon. ( ) On stardate 46235.7, Riker was again left in temporary command of the Enterprise when Captain Picard and three other crew members were transformed into children. The ship was attacked by a pair of ''B'rel''-class Bird-of-Prey under the command of Ferengi privateers. During the battle, the Enterprise was overwhelmed and subsequently boarded by the Ferengi. The Ferengi seized control of the ship, and it was only with the help of Captain Picard and the other transformed crewmen that control was regained. ( ) Riker was in command during the Enterprise-D's final battle in 2371. The ship had been attacked by the Duras sisters by order of Dr. Tolian Soran. The sisters were given an unfair advantage as Soran had placed a visual transmitter in La Forge's VISOR, giving them access to the Enterprise shield modulation. Riker's quick thinking led to the identification of a plasma coil flaw on the sisters' old Bird-of-Prey, which was destroyed. Unfortunately, the Enterprise suffered catastrophic damage to its warp core. Riker ordered a saucer separation, and the saucer section maneuvered to safety before the engineering section exploded. The shock wave from the blast caused the saucer to plunge into the atmosphere of Veridian III, where it crash-landed. The entire crew survived, although Riker was disappointed that he would never have the chance to command the ship. ( ) Diplomazia e scambi culturali Riker participated in first contact with the Ferengi in the Delphi Ardu system in 2364. The Enterprise and a Ferengi marauder were trapped in orbit, paralyzed by a Tkon energy-dampening weapon. An away team commanded by Riker made contact with the Tkon portal. The portal sensed Riker's great courage and dignity, while it only found deception with the Ferengi, leading it to grant Riker's request and release both ships. ( ) Will conducted another diplomatic mission that year, on the planet Angel I. Survivors from a Federation freighter, the Odin, were discovered on the matriarchal world and sentenced to death for advancing policies which granted equal rights for male members of the society. Riker successfully argued their case to Mistress Beata, Angel I's Elected One, convincing her that change is inevitable. She later allowed the Odin crew, and their new-found families on Angel I, to be moved to an isolated continent so they could continue their lives without affecting mainstream culture. ( ) Riker was an early participant in the Officer Exchange Program, temporarily transferring to a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, the , in 2365. To prepare for the assignment, he indulged in many different Klingon foods. Worf also gave him an emergency transponder shortly before his departure, just in case of an emergency situation. On board the Pagh, Riker had to quickly learn the Klingon way of doing things, physically fighting the second officer to prove his loyalty to Captain Kargan and enduring the abusive comments of the Klingon crew. At the same time, the Enterprise became infected with a hull-degrading bacteria, which it inadvertently transmitted to the Pagh. The Klingons believed that it was a new Federation weapon, and returned to attack the Enterprise. Riker was able to relieve Kargan by giving him the transponder and sending him to the Enterprise, then staging a mock battle with the Starfleet vessel to maintain the honor of the Klingon crew. Riker returned to his post aboard the Enterprise following the incident. ( ) In 2366, the Enterprise hosted negotiations for rights to the Barzan wormhole. The Federation representative, Mendoza, was poisoned by the Ferengi delegation, requiring Riker to take his place. The wormhole later turned out to be useless, as its terminus fluctuated between the Gamma and Delta Quadrants. ( ) The Enterprise responded to sensor readings which indicated a Romulan outpost on Alpha Onias III in early 2367, on Riker's birthday. Riker led an away team to investigate, but was trapped by an alien named Barash. The alien was hidden by his mother on the planet to keep him safe from their enemies, and was given technology to generate any type of fantasy. He became lonely, and hoped Riker would stay to keep him company. When Riker regained consciousness, he was confronted by an Enterprise now sixteen years into the future. Dr. Crusher claimed that he was infected by Altarian encephalitis and had lost all memories since Alpha Onias III. He was a single parent with one slightly troublesome child, "Jean-Luc Riker." "Admiral" Picard then arrived on a Romulan warbird with a diplomatic delegation. Riker was to complete the final peace accords with the Romulans, which he had been working on ever since the Enterprise rescued a damaged Romulan ship. Although Riker began to accept his new circumstances and give "Jean-Luc" attention, the simulation quickly began to fall apart as the technology was not able to keep up with Riker. The Enterprise computer was much too slow and the senior staff were unable to answer Riker's questions about the previous sixteen years. Moreover, a recording of his wife revealed Minuet, a holographic fantasy. This illusion gave way to another, where Riker was imprisoned in a Romulan laboratory. Barash stayed in the form of the child, now called "Ethan." Riker and "Ethan" plotted an escape, but Riker figured out this second deception when "Ethan" accidentally called Tomalak "ambassador," a rank he only held in the first illusion. Barash then revealed his true nature to Riker. Will offered him safety and companionship aboard the Enterprise, and the two transported back to the ship. ( ) The Enterprise was crippled after a defect caused its dilithium chamber hatch to explode. Initially, the incident was blamed on Romulan espionage, but was later determined as native to the hatch, which was replaced at Earth Station McKinley a few months prior. Riker participated in the initial questioning of a Klingon suspect named J'Dan. After Admiral Norah Satie came aboard and instigated a "witchhunt" with the intention of forcing out Romulan collaborators, Riker served as defense counsel for Crewman Simon Tarses. Tarses was unfairly singled out as a spy because his grandfather was Romulan. Satie's investigation was later canceled by Starfleet Command when it became apparent her accusations had very little factual support. ( ) Riker piloted Trill ambassador Odan to a meeting on Peliar Zel in 2367. En route, their shuttle was attacked and Odan's host body injured. The symbiont was removed, and later transplanted to Riker at his insistence. Human physiology was not totally compatible with the symbiont, but Odan survived in Riker's body long enough to complete negotiations between the two moons of the planet. Odan had been romantically involved with Dr. Beverly Crusher, and she was confused by Odan's change. She tried to avoid him as much as possible as she was uncomfortable with the Trill way of life. Eventually, Beverly realized that she was attracted to Odan's personality as much as his physical appearance, and made love to him in Will's body. When a new Trill host arrived, the symbiont was removed from Riker, and he recovered with no long-term effects. ( ) Will was left in command of the Enterprise-D in 2368 while Captain Picard visited Romulus in search of Ambassador Spock. He was ordered to investigate the disappearance of the Vulcan ship T'Pau from Qualor II when the wreckage of its deflector array was found amongst the debris of a Ferengi freighter. The Enterprise discovered that a mercenary vessel had been stealing ship components from the surplus depot in orbit of the planet. The mercenaries were killed when they attacked the Enterprise, ( ) forcing Riker to turn to the planet for information. He found a Ferengi trader named Omag who revealed that the Vulcan parts were being sent to Galorndon Core. The Enterprise continued to investigate, and Sela attempted to divert the Enterprise by sending a fake distress signal from a Federation colony. Riker saw through the deception and the Enterprise went to intercept the stolen Vulcan ships at the Romulan Neutral Zone, but they were destroyed by a Romulan Warbird before entering Federation space. ( ) Riker was to escort Iyaaran ambassador Byleth during his visit to the Enterprise in 2370, but the ambassador insisted on Worf instead. ( ) Missioni segrete While serving on board the Enterprise-D, Riker participated in away missions in which he employed disguises to protect Starfleet's Prime Directive. When a cultural observation post on Mintaka III was severely damaged in 2366, it was discovered by a Mintakan named Liko. Liko was severely injured after being startled by the structure's appearance, requiring his transport to the Enterprise for treatment. While there he briefly woke, and saw Captain Picard whom he believed to be a deity. Several members of the observation team were also injured and wandered from the post. Riker and Troi attempted to correct the damage done to their culture by masquerading as Mintakans. They tried to convince the Mintakans that Liko was merely delusional. Riker was able to retrieve one of the observers,Dr. Palmer, from the Mintakans, but Troi was left behind. The Mintakans, terrified that Picard was a god and would come to punish them, wanted to execute her as a sacrifice to Picard. Picard later transported their leader aboard the Enterprise and convinced her that he was not a god, and Troi was released. ( ) In 2367 he was injured while observing the Malcorians. In preparation for the mission, his face was surgically altered to look Malcorian. He posed as Rivas Jakara. After being injured, he was treated in the local hospital. A female Malcorian nurse, Lanel, who discovered that he was an alien, offered him help when he agreed to make love with her. Unfortunately, Riker was soon discovered by others and detained. Minister Krola, a government official who was frightened of the idea of alien visitors, attempted to kill himself with Riker's phaser. Riker was eventually rescued by Dr. Crusher and Worf. ( ) In 2370 Data was damaged on a mission to Barkon IV. Riker and Dr. Crusher disguised themselves as Barkonians and brought Data back to the Enterprise. ( ) Also in 2370 Riker and Ro Laren were sent on a mission to infiltrate the Maquis. Riker was disguised as a Bajoran and claimed to be a relative of Ro's. Ro eventually betrayed Riker and joined the Maquis, but she allowed him to leave. Riker wished her "good luck" as he returned to the Enterprise. ( ) Azioni disciplinari The Enterprise left personnel, including Riker, at the research station of Dr. Nel Apgar in 2366. They were to inspect his Krieger wave converter technology, as his research had been funded by Starfleet. While there, Apgar's wife, Manua, tried to seduce him. Dr. Apgar caught them kissing, and he and Riker fought nearly the entire visit. Tensions were at a breaking point when the Enterprise returned to pick up the crew. Shortly after Riker beamed out, the station exploded, killing Apgar. Riker was initially suspected of murder through accusations by Apgar's widow and assistant, and placed under arrest by Tanugan authorities. The Enterprise crew began their own investigation using the holodeck. They determined that the station was not destroyed as a result of a phaser blast from Riker into the station's power core, but as a result of an energy beam directed at Riker by Apgar. Apgar had actually been developing the new technology into a weapon which he wished to sell to the Romulans, and he was worried that Riker discovered his plan, which would cause an end to the research before the weapon could be created. The beam was intended to disperse Riker's pattern as he beamed off the station, but it deflected into the power core. Upon this revelation, chief investigator Krag dropped all charges. ( ) Shortly after Cardassian withdrawal from the Bajor sector in 2369, Captain Picard was reassigned to a covert infiltration of a Cardassian outpost on Celtris III. Command of the Enterprise was transferred to Edward Jellico at the order of Admiral Alynna Nechayev. Riker tried to convince her that he would be suited for the position, but she wanted an officer with experience in dealing with the Cardassians. The transition from Picard to Jellico was difficult for the entire crew. He reassigned many crew from engineering to security, placed overbearing demands on all departments, and instituted new duty shift cycles which led to personnel management problems. As first officer, Riker was the recipient of complaints. Jellico saw Riker as arrogant for questioning his changes, and questioned Picard's high opinion of Riker. ( ) Riker was present for the negotiations with the Cardassians, and learned that Picard had been captured on Celtris III. Jellico deemed Picard lost and refused to attempt a rescue mission. He and Riker got into a verbal altercation where Riker accused Jellico of sacrificing Picard's life and Jellico accusing Riker of challenging his authority. Riker was subsequently relieved of duty, with Data taking his place as first officer. The Enterprise later developed a plan to ambush a Cardassian invasion fleet in the McAllister C-5 Nebula, involving a shuttlecraft planting mines on the hulls of the Cardassian warships. Riker was the only pilot with the experience to fly the mission, and Jellico returned him to duty following a conversation where they both vowed to not let their opinions of one another affect their duties. ( ) Early in 2370, Captain Picard was believed killed on Dessica II. He was actually transported to a mercenary ship commanded by Arctus Baran and joined their crew with the name "Galen." The Enterprise pursued the mercenaries to the Barradas system, where Riker too, was abducted. He worked with Captain Picard to learn more about the mission of the mercenaries and assumed the role of a rebellious and untrustworthy Starfleet officer, trying to gain the trust of Baran. He later attempted to deactivate the Enterprise's shields with his out-of-date command codes, giving a signal to Data to drop the shields. ( ) Picard reconfigured the ship's weapons to a harmless setting, and the Enterprise pretended to be damaged. The mercenaries continued on their quest, and Picard eventually learned that they were planning to assemble an ancient Vulcan psionic weapon. The final component was aboard a shuttle piloted by a Klingon named Toral, who had been pulled over by the Enterprise. The mercenaries planned a raid on the Enterprise with Riker's help. Meanwhile, Baran instructed Riker to kill Picard, who had challenged Baran's authority. The group transported to the Enterprise and found the last component, but Picard then shot Riker before returning to the mercenary vessel. Riker was merely stunned, and reassumed command of the Enterprise. The ship went to Vulcan and stopped T'Paal, a Vulcan isolationist, from using the weapon. Back on the Enterprise, Picard jokingly suggested that Data place Riker under arrest for treason. Data did not understand the joke, and actually brought Riker to the brig. ( ) in 2370]] In 2370, the wreckage of the Pegasus was detected in the Devolin system. Erik Pressman, now an admiral, came aboard the Enterprise and the ship was sent to locate the Pegasus. Starfleet Security was interested in retrieving the interphase cloaking device, which also piqued Romulan interest. The badly damaged Pegasus was found submerged deep within asteroid gamma 601, but the interphase cloak was still intact. It was returned to the Enterprise, but the Enterprise was now trapped within the asteroid as a result of Romulan weapons fire. The interphase cloak was the ship's only hope of escape, and Riker revealed its existence to the Enterprise crew, to the ire of Pressman. La Forge and Data were able to connect and activate the cloak, letting the Enterprise escape. Picard informed the Romulans of what had happened, then took Pressman into custody. Riker was also arrested, at his own insistence, and appeared before a board of inquiry at Starbase 247. ( ) ]] Riker had only discussed the truth about the Pegasus with Deanna Troi, and had difficulty deciding whether or not to reveal the circumstances of the Pegasus incident to Captain Picard. At Troi's suggestion, Will recreated the final mission of the ''Enterprise'' NX-01 on the holodeck in order to gain command insight and specifically, try to learn from the relationship between Captain Jonathan Archer and Commander Charles Tucker III. He interacted with several Enterprise crew members as Chef, and as a MACO, participated in the mission to rescue Shran's daughter. By observing Tucker's willingness to disobey orders during a critical moment, saving the life of Archer and ensuring the birth of the Federation, Riker realized that telling the truth and trusting Captain Picard's faith in him was much more important than obeying Pressman's orders. ( ) :It can be presumed that the ''Enterprise discovered the Pegasus within the asteroid before Riker had a chance to speak to Picard.'' Note mediche While leading an away team to planet Minos in 2364, Riker was encased in a stasis field by one of the automated weapons drones reactivated by the USS Drake. Data was able to use a phaser to free him. ( ) Riker was attacked by the Ornaran T'Jon in 2364. T'Jon wanted Picard to hand over a shipment of felicium and threatened to kill Riker if he did not comply. ( ) Later that year, Riker was "absorbed" by the malevolent entity Armus on Vagra II. He was later returned to the planet unharmed, although he was completely covered in a viscous black liquid. ( ) Gregory Quinn, under the influence of the neural parasites, knocked Riker out after throwing him through a table. ( ) While exploring Surata IV in 2365, Riker was stuck by the thorn of a native plant. The thorn contained an organism which began to attack Riker's central nervous system, and caused him to fall into a coma. Dr. Katherine Pulaski was able to stimulate certain memory centers in Riker's brain. The emotional response provided resistance to the organism, which was suppressed. ( ) Will Riker was part of a cultural observation team on planet Malcor III in 2367. The Malcorians were on the verge of warp capability, and the Federation planned to make first contact with the race. However, Riker was mugged and badly injured in a Malcorian city, and brought to a Malcorian hospital for treatment. His different anatomy and physiology perplexed the Malcorian doctors, and rumors soon spread that Riker was indeed an alien. Despite his best efforts to escape, Riker was kept captive and his whereabouts left unknown to the Enterprise. Furthermore, the strong xenophobic tendencies of the Malcorians were demonstrated when Krola, a member of Malcorian leader Durken's staff, tried to make it look as if Riker assassinated him in order to make it appear as if the Federation was hostile and therefore discourage any contact. Riker was eventually rescued by a team from the Enterprise and treated by Dr. Crusher. However, the incident proved to Durken that the Malcorians were not ready for contact with other species at the present, and he requested that the Federation leave the Malcor system until the culture is better prepared. ( ) Riker's arm was broken when the Enterprise investigated an apparent distress call from the in on planet Mab-Bu VI in 2368. His injury prevented one of the disembodied criminals trapped there from inhabiting his body. ( ) In 2368, Riker was one of three Enterprise officers mentally assaulted by a Ullian named Jev. Jev forced Riker to relive an accident in main engineering where he was forced to seal a crewmember, Ensign Keller, behind an isolation door, causing her death. Riker then fell into a coma, which was believed to be a side effect of Iresine Syndrome. Investigation by Enterprise personnel revealed that Jev was the cause of the comas, and doctors from the Ullian homeworld helped with Will's recovery. ( ) Early in 2369, Commander La Forge made enhancements to the sensor array during a survey mission to the Amargosa Diaspora. The modifications involved channeling warp power through the main deflector. Unknown at the time, the energy signatures reached into a tertiary subspace domain and allowed a group of solanogen-based lifeforms from another universe access to the Enterprise. They wanted to learn more about our universe, and potentially wanted to discover a way to project their universe into ours. Riker and several other crewmembers were abducted and analyzed by the aliens, sometimes involving gory medical experiments. Riker's right arm had been amputated and reattached at some point. The side effects from the experiments left him very fatigued and claustrophobic, and it was these symptoms which led him to speak to Counselor Troi. She brought Riker together with other Enterprise personnel who were experiencing similar feelings, and the group was able to create a holodeck simulation of the alien environment where they were taken. Later, Dr. Crusher found evidence of the medical experiments in all of the abductees. In order to close the link between the normal universe and the solanagen universe and seal a spatial rupture forming in the Enterprise cargo bay, Riker wore a homing beacon which was able to isolate the tetryon emissions emanating from the solanagen universe and allow La Forge to initiate a graviton beam to seal the breach. Dr. Crusher also gave him with a counteragent to ward off the sedative used by the aliens. Later that night, he was removed from the ship and taken to the alien laboratory, where the homing beacon allowed the Enterprise to seal the rupture shortly after Riker returned with another missing Enterprise crewmember. ( ) Also in 2369, the Enterprise stopped at the Remmler Array for a baryon sweep. While there, the Enterprise command crew was invited to a reception at Arkaria Base. A terrorist group took them hostage in order to secure trilithium resin from the Enterprise. Dr. Crusher devised a plan to use La Forge's VISOR as a way to knock their captors into unconsciousness, but needed a distraction to make the modifications. Riker went up to one of the terrorists and tried to punch him, but was hit in the jaw himself. ( ) Later in 2369, Riker was sent to Tilonus IV to track a Federation research team lost when the government collapsed into anarchy. During the mission, he was abducted and held captive in a facility run by Dr. Syrus. He began experiments on Riker's mind, which threatened his sanity. His mind resisted the torture by accessing memories of a play, Frame of Mind, Riker had participated in shortly before the mission. He began shifting between practicing the play on the Enterprise to actually living the plot of the play, with the characters as Tilonians. He was committed to the hospital after being found guilty of murder, and was threatened with synaptic reconstruction before resorting to a procedure called reflection therapy. In the end, the two events merged, with Riker being rescued from the mental hospital by the Enterprise. Syrus was present throughout the hallucinations, allowing Riker to deduce that he was fantasizing and regain consciousness. He was rescued by the Enterprise before Syrus was able to inflict further damage, and personally dismantled the Frame of Mind set as part of his therapy. ( ) Riker hated cats, but was one of many Enterprise crewmembers who attempted to care for Data's cat, Spot. Riker was in charge of feeding Spot while Data was away at a conference in late 2369, and was scratched on the forehead as he attempted to set down a bowl of food. Riker later passed responsibility for Spot to Dr. Crusher, and was somewhat wary of entering Data's quarters. ( ) In 2370, Dr. Beverly Crusher treated Reginald Barclay for a case of Urodelan flu and accidentally activated a dormant gene, mutating his T cells. The gene became airborne and began to affect the rest of the crew, causing them to "de-evolve" into more primitive forms of life. Riker de-evolved in to an australopithecine, and was found by Picard and Data attempting to break open Livingston's fish tank in the captain's ready room. He then tried to attack Picard and Data, but was stunned by a phaser and taken to sickbay. Data eventually discovered a way to reverse the effects, and the crew was returned to normal. ( ) La Enterprise-E Primo contatto ]] Riker fu trasferito alla nuova USS ''Enterprise-E nella 2372, insieme a gran parte del personale senior della Enterprise-D. Nel 2373, la Enterprise prese parte alla Battaglia del Settore 001 contravvenendo agli ordini della Flotta Stellare. Grazie all'intervento della nave, il cubo Borg fu distrutto, ma non prima che lanciasse una sfera che generò un vortice temporale e viaggiò fino all'anno 2063. La Enterprise inseguì e distrusse la sfera, prima che potesse impedire il primo volo di Zefram Cochrane a bordo della nave a curvatura Phoenix. La Phoenix fu danneggiata durante l'attacco, e molti membri dell'equipaggio della Enterprise-E aiutarono Cochrane nelle riparazioni. Riker inoltre dovette convincere Cochrane dell'importanza del suo primo volo a curvatura, mentre questi pensava di annullarlo per seguire l'attacco dei Borg. Riker, insieme a Geordi La Forge, fu presente a bordo della Phoenix nello storico volo di Cochrane. ( ) Lotta con i Son'a ]] In 2375, Riker, along with the Enterprise crew, defied Federation orders and rebelled against the plan to relocate the Ba'ku people from their homeworld in order to harvest the metaphasic radiation from their planet's ring system. While Picard and the senior staff protected the Ba'ku on the planet, Riker took the Enterprise out of the Briar Patch and alerted the Federation Council to the real issues surrounding the forced relocation. During the journey out of the Briar Patch, the Enterprise was engaged by two Son'a vessels. The ship was seriously damaged in the process and forced to eject its warp core to seal a subspace tear. Riker needed to invent a new tactic on the fly. Dubbed the "Riker Maneuver" by chief engineer Geordi La Forge, it involved collecting metreon gas with the Bussard collectors and then venting the gas while the ship continued to move. The cloud left behind the ship reacted with the isolytic weapons of the Son'a ships, destroying one and crippling the other. ( ) Battaglia con Shinzon Will Riker's last mission aboard the Enterprise-E was during its encounter with Praetor Shinzon in 2379. Although Riker was eager to begin his life aboard the Titan with Counselor Troi, he realized how important it was to stop Shinzon and was willing to sacrifice anything in order to prevent him from using his thalaron radiation weapon on Terra. The Scimitar fought and weakened the Enterprise in the Battle of the Bassen Rift, sending several boarding parties to the ship. Riker and Worf took a security detail to fight off the invading Remans. The Viceroy entered the Jefferies tubes in an attempt to reach the bridge and kidnap Captain Picard. Riker followed and they fought hand-to-hand, with Riker eventually killing the Viceroy by knocking him down an Enterprise maintenance shaft. ( ) Command offers Riker was offered several commands during his tenure aboard the Enterprise. Including the aforementioned USS Drake, he was offered the in 2365 ( ) and the in 2366. ( ) The Aries command was offered to Riker because of his exceptional abilities as a scientist. He turned down the Aries posting because he felt he was not yet ready to leave the Enterprise and the distinction that the first officer post held. ( ) Starfleet put a great amount of pressure on Riker to accept command of the Melbourne. Many admirals and even Captain Picard felt that he had remained too long on board the Enterprise and should have accepted a command by that point in his career, lest it seem like he was standing still in a sea of upstart officers like Shelby. Even Riker questioned why he remained as Enterprise first officer, and was unable to understand what kept him from leaving. ( ) :"She's a fine ship, Will." :"Yes, but she's not the ''Enterprise." :'Picard''' and Riker (about the Melbourne) Ultimately, Riker did not need to make a choice, as he was field-promoted to captain during the encounter with the Borg and the Melbourne was subsequently destroyed at Wolf 359. Although it was believed Riker would have a pick of any command because his decisive leadership was a major factor in the defeat of the Borg, he still elected to remain Enterprise first officer. ( ) :Q said in that he "was betting Riker" would have taken command of the , which may mean he was also offered command of that ship before Captain Janeway. By 2379, Riker decided to accept promotion to captain of the USS Titan, assuming command of the ship that year. Troi also transferred to the Titan. The Titan was dispatched to the Romulan Neutral Zone to serve as the command ship for a diplomatic task force. ( ) :Riker's adventures aboard the ''Titan are the basis for the Pocket Books novel series Star Trek: Titan.'' Interessi personali Musica Riker was a jazz aficionado, and his favorite musical instrument was the trombone. Although he was an accomplished player, his skills were not quite up to that of a professional musician ( ) and he had trouble with certain pieces, including Nightbird. ( ) :In reality, Jonathan Frakes is a trombone player and provided the audio whenever Riker was shown playing. Riker was also shown playing the trombone in , and . Will could also play the piano, and taught Amarie, a musician in a bar on Qualor II, some jazz routines when the Enterprise visited the planet in 2368. ( ) Poker Will first began playing poker as a junior officer aboard the Potemkin. ( ) He became a notoriously good player aboard the Enterprise, participating in most of the ship's weekly poker games and even teaching master classes on the game. ( ) He also knew several card tricks, one of which was used in a failed attempt to fool Data in 2367. ( ) His poker skills were noted by Captain Picard, and their connection to diplomatic skills was one of the reasons he was selected to replace Mendoza as the Federation representative in the Barzan wormhole negotiations. ( ) In an alternate timeline, Dr. Crusher noted that Will raised his left eyebrow slightly while bluffing, although she later claimed to be kidding. ( ) In 2369, Will, Geordi, and Worf made an unconventional wager with Beverly; if any of the men won the hand, she would become a brunette, and if Beverly won, the men would shave their beards. However, the senior staff were called to the bridge before the hand was over. ( ) Will is skilled in other forms of gambling, and won large sums of latinum at the dabo tables in Quark's during an Enterprise visit to Deep Space 9. Quark claimed he was unable to pay Riker at the time, and later voided the winnings in exchange for information about the whereabouts of the Duras sisters Lursa and B'Etor. ( ) Will met DS9 officer Jadzia Dax at Quark's about this time. ( ) Sport Riker ha parecchi hobby legati agli sport. L'Anbo-jytsu è uno di questi interessi, ( ) come Parrises squares ( ) e pallamano. ( ) Egli è abile nelle arti marziali, in particolare nel tai chi chuan, ( ) e ha preso lezioni di mok'bara da Worf. ( ) Egli si diverte anche a pescare. Uno dei suoi luoghi preferiti per la pesca è Curtis Creek, che ha ricreato in un programma olografico. ( ) Altri interessi Will was quite skilled at three-dimensional chess, as he used the Queen's gambit coupled with Aldabren exchange to defeat the Ferengi Nibor during the closing reception of the biennial Trade Agreements Conference aboard the USS Enterprise-D. ( ) Riker held an interest in cooking, left over from when he needed to fend for himself as a child. ( ) He was a member of Beverly Crusher's theater troupe aboard the Enterprise-D, and played the lead in two plays, Something for Breakfast ( ) and Frame of Mind. ( ) His favorite vacation spot was Risa. ( ) Personal relationships Friendships Because of his fair and decisive command style, and his easy-going, affable personality, Riker was popular amongst the Enterprise-D crew and had friendships with senior staff members as well as junior officers. ( ) Not all junior officers, such as Sam Lavelle, found him easy to get along with. Riker was slightly annoyed with Lavelle, claiming he was too eager to please. Later, Counselor Troi suggested that his adversity actually stemmed from the fact that Lavelle was very much like Riker when he was a junior officer. ( ) Riker knew Geordi La Forge longer than any of the crew, but they didn't become friends until they served on the Enterprise together. ( ) He counseled La Forge following the loss of his mother in 2370, although La Forge did not heed his advice at the time. ( ) While Dr. Beverly Crusher was head of Starfleet Medical in 2365, Riker was one of the Enterprise officers who made sure Wesley Crusher kept up with his studies and responsibilities aboard the ship. ( ) Riker and Guinan tried to advise Wesley on his relationship with Salia, but their assistance rapidly went off track from its original intention. ( ) Jean-Luc Picard When choosing a first officer prior to the launch of the Enterprise in 2363, Captain Picard nearly passed over Riker's record. He stopped when he saw the incident with Captain DeSoto and Riker's refusal to allow the captain to beam down. This was a major factor in Picard's selection of Riker as his first officer. He was impressed that a first officer would challenge a captain's authority out of regard for the safety of the captain and the crew. ( ) Captain Picard was very cold towards Riker during their first meeting, and ordered the manual docking as a test of Riker's abilities. When he performed the docking with great expertise and skill, Picard formally greeted Riker, requesting that his new first officer make sure that he not allow Picard to "make an ass of himself" in front of the many children aboard the ship. One year later, Picard felt as if he had not done a good job of congratulating Riker, so he did it once more, this time making his feelings clear. ( ) Eventually, Riker and Picard became very good friends. With the best of intentions, Riker suggested that Picard vacation at Risa in 2366, asking him to return a horga'hn. Picard did not realize the history behind the statue and kept it with him after purchasing it for Riker, making it appear as if the captain was seeking jamaharon. ( ) The only time Riker and Picard ever verbally fought in front of the Enterprise crew was in 2366 while under the influence of emotions projected by Ambassador Sarek (whom Picard greatly respected), suffering from Bendii Syndrome. ( ) Picard tried to counsel Riker when he was offered command of the USS Melbourne in 2366, reminding him that the Enterprise would continue without his presence and that officers like Shelby were very much as he was before he learned the lessons necessary for command of a starship. ( ) Riker also came to Captain Picard for advice when Worf wanted his help with the hegh'bat ( ) and when he struggled with a decision involving Soren. ( ) In early 2369, members of the Enterprise crew, including Picard, were turned into twelve-year-olds due to the effects of a molecular reversion field. Unfortunately, a group of Ferengi commandeered the Enterprise about that time. Believing Picard to be a child, he was confined to a classroom aboard the ship while Riker was held in the observation lounge. Picard threw a tantrum and demanded to see his "father," Riker. They pretended to be father and son in order for Picard to plant a suggestive message to Riker, requesting access to the Enterprise main computer from the classroom. Picard, along with the other affected Enterprise crew members, were able to design a plan to retake the Enterprise from the Ferengi. ( ) During the Pegasus incident of 2370, Picard tried to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ship's disappearance. He ran into many dead-ends as most records had been sealed, and had to use many favors in Starfleet Command to even get a look at the findings of the board convened to investigate the loss of the Pegasus. Riker would not divulge further information under the orders of Admiral Erik Pressman, and Picard reluctantly continued the search. He made it clear to Riker that he hoped he still placed the safety of the Enterprise as his top priority, and if Picard had found this to be untrue, he would re-evaluate his trust in Riker. After the crisis was resolved, Picard visited Riker in the brig and returned him to duty aboard the Enterprise, understanding of Will's mistake in the past and satisfied that he had made the correct decisions in the present. ( ) Picard served as Riker's best man during his wedding to Deanna Troi in 2379. He gave a toast to Riker, calling him his "trusted right arm" and lamenting his loss of a fine first officer. ( ) While aboard the Enterprise, Picard generally referred to Riker as "Number One", a nickname he used for his first officer. ( ) Chillingly, Locutus of Borg also called Riker "Number One" while dealing with the Enterprise crew. ( ) Worf Worf considered Riker one of his closest friends, despite their vastly different personalities. Riker was one of the only Humans who participated in Worf's brutally violent holodeck calisthenics program. ( ) In 2365, Worf wanted to transfer to the USS Aries with Riker, concerned for his safety. ( ) Riker also tried to convince Worf to donate his blood in order to save the Romulan rescued from Galorndon Core in 2366. He tried to make Worf realize that this gesture of goodwill may be the first step in healing the differences between their peoples. ( ) Worf asked Riker to assist him in the hegh'bat, a Klingon ritual suicide, following his spinal cord injury in 2368. Riker was appalled by the request, feeling that Worf's life was still worth living and that suicide would be an insult to all of their comrades who had struggled for life up until their death. He researched the tradition before coming to Worf with his decision. He found that the hegh'bat was generally practiced with the oldest son, and then left it up to Worf to ask his young son Alexander Rozhenko to help. Worf was unable to ask Alexander to participate in the ritual, and later decided to attempt a risky surgery involving the genitronic replicator. ( ) Despite his discomfort with the androgynous nature of the J'naii, Worf helped Riker during his mission to rescue Soren, realizing how important Soren was to Riker. ( ) Riker also liked to good-naturedly rib Worf, who was notorious for his lack of a sense of humor. This would be proven correct as Worf would only glare or growl in response to Riker's antics. During the Iyaaran visit in 2370, Riker jokingly chastised Worf for thinking the dress uniform was too feminine and weak-looking, later telling Worf he thought he looked good in a dress. ( ) Riker encouraged Alexander's love of jazz music by giving him several recordings. Worf, however, was not a fan. ( ) Riker wanted to give Worf a surprise party for his birthday in 2370, but Deanna talked him out of it. ( ) In late 2370, Worf began dating Deanna Troi, which placed some strain on their relationship despite Worf's best efforts to prevent it. ( ) Worf tried to ask Will for his permission to date Deanna, but the attempt came off as comic rather than serious. ( ) Data Riker first met Data on the Enterprise holodeck in 2364. Data was trying to whistle "Pop Goes the Weasel," but could not finish the last few notes. Riker helped him finish, later giving Data the nickname "Pinocchio," in reference to Data's wish to become human. Riker later recalled this incident fondly during Data's wake. ( ) At first, Riker was skeptical about Data's abilities as a machine, assuming that his rank of Lieutenant Commander was merely honorary although Data had earned the rank as well as every other Starfleet officer of the same rank and above.( ) In 2365, Data's status as a sentient individual came into question. A trial was set on Starbase 173, but the base lacked a complete legal staff. As Enterprise first officer, Riker was forced to act as attorney for Bruce Maddox and was given the difficult task of convincing Judge Phillipa Louvois that as an android, Data was not sentient. He very nearly proved that Data was a simple machine by deactivating him, but Picard's defense later made Louvois grant Data complete rights as a sentient being. Riker was distressed over the incident, and felt terrible that he nearly cost Data his rights. Data did not hold any ill-will towards Riker, and was actually grateful that Riker participated, as if he did not, the ruling would have been default in Maddox's favor. ( ) Data has sought Riker's help and advice on several occasions. One instance was when he asked for Riker's advice on friendship and betrayal following a mission involving Ishara Yar in 2367. ( ) Data also asked for Riker's help when Keiko Ishikawa temporarily called off her wedding to Miles O'Brien in 2367. ( ) He also came to Riker for advice when he started to date Jenna D'Sora. ( ) Famiglia Kyle Riker Will saw Kyle Riker for the first time in fifteen years when he came aboard the Enterprise to brief him on the USS Aries command. The two remained adversarial, despite Kyle's wish to heal any wounds before Riker departed on his mission. Dr. Pulaski, an old flame of Kyle's, told Will about Kyle's bravery following the Tholian attack, and suggested that the time had come to finally resolve their conflict. Unconventionally, Will and Kyle decided to settle their differences with a match of anbo-jytsu, at which time Will discovered that Kyle had been cheating since Will was twelve. The activity allowed them to vent the tension and have an actual conversation about their true feelings, which they had never done. Kyle finally told Will that he loved him before returning to Starbase Montgomery. ( ) After this incident, Will was finally able to put their past difficulties behind him. ( ) :An early pitch for the episode had Riker as the central character, recently mourning the death of Kyle Riker. Thomas Riker The Enterprise was sent to Nervala IV in late 2369 when the atmospheric disturbances began to subside. Riker led an away team to the surface, and discovered his duplicate, later known as Thomas Riker. The two quickly clashed over various issues, including Tom's resistance to direct orders and his attempts to rekindle a relationship with Deanna Troi. Tom felt that Will was the one to benefit from his misery of being stuck on the planet for eight years. After working together to retrieve log files from the station computers and saving one anothers' lives, they began to accept one another. Thomas transferred to the , and Will gave him their trombone as a parting gift. ( ) :According to ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, some TNG writing staff toyed with the idea of killing off Will Riker in this episode, replacing him by Tom Riker, moving Data to first officer position and Tom as the new ops officer.'' By 2371, Tom had resigned his post to join the Maquis. He pretended to be Will Riker in order to gain access to the , which he then stole for use by the Maquis. ( ) Romance Riker spent the night with Mistress Beata during his mission to Angel I in 2364, presenting her with an Albeni meditation crystal. She was fascinated by his strength and power, traits which were not abundant in the males of her world. Riker donned the traditional clothing of the planet, drawing snickers from Counselor Troi and Lieutenant Natasha Yar. ( ) The Bynars created a holographic woman named Minuet to distract Riker while they hijacked the Enterprise-D in 2364. Riker found her convincingly real, and was disappointed when her program was lost after the Bynars left the ship. ( ) Her image was used by Barash's holosimulators to create a wife for Riker in the illusory future he experienced in 2367, making Riker realize the deception. ( ) Ambassador Lwaxana Troi entered the Betazoid phase in 2365. When she visited the Enterprise, she set her sights on several male crewmembers as potential mates, including Riker. She announced their "wedding" on the bridge of the Enterprise shortly before moving on to Captain Picard. ( ) Riker was romantically linked to the Bringloidi colonist Brenna Odell, but the relationship was limited to her brief stay aboard the ship in 2365. ( ) The Enterprise worked to reunite the Gatherers with their Acamarian home in 2366. Riker became involved with one of Sovereign Marouk's aides, Yuta. Yuta was actually a Tralesta who had been genetically altered to deliver a microvirus to members of another clan, the Lornak, the Tralestas had fought centuries earlier. The last Lornak, Chorgan, was now leader of the Gatherers, and Yuta attempted to assassinate him. Data and Dr. Crusher later discovered Yuta's true nature, and Riker was forced to kill her in order to prevent Chorgan's death. ( ) Riker returned from shore leave in late 2366 and saw Data's "daughter" Lal in Ten Forward. He did not realize that she was an android, and flirted with her. Lal immediately picked Riker up and planted a kiss on his lips, copying behavior she observed earlier. Riker hastily left, embarrassed and confused. ( ) While held captive in the Malcorian hospital in 2367, a nurse named Lanel approached Riker and offered to help him escape if he made love to her, as it had long been her dream to do so with an alien. Riker tried to maneuver his way out of the situation by claiming there were differences between their cultures, but Lanel was persistent. It is unclear just how far the two went with their relationship, but Lanel eventually helped Riker try to escape. When asked if she would ever see him again, Riker somewhat sarcastically responded he would look her up next time he passed through her star system. ( ) Will romanced Carmen Davila in early 2368 while some of the Enterprise crew helped establish a colony on Melona IV. However, Davila was killed when the Crystalline Entity ravaged that world. Riker wrote a brief letter to Davila's family when Starfleet informed them of her death. Riker believed that her death, and the loss of countless other lives at the hands of the Entity, was reason enough to destroy it rather than attempt communication. ( ) Riker visited Risa later that year, and met a Ktarian female named Etana Jol. Jol was actually working for a Ktarian dissident movement which attempted to take over the Federation in 2368. She was able to get Riker to become addicted to the game they used in the mind control plot, which he then returned to the Enterprise. Fortunately, Data and Wesley Crusher were able to reverse the effects of the game and reveal the Ktarian plot. ( ) When the Enterprise was affected by a Satarran memory weapon in 2368, Riker and Ensign Ro Laren felt an attraction to one another. They spent several nights together before Dr. Crusher discovered a way to restore the memories of the entire crew. ( ) Later in that year, Riker later wanted to say a few words about Ro at the funeral planned when it was believed she and La Forge were dead. Ro was frustrated because she and La Forge were rephased before Riker made his speech. ( ) In 2368, Riker helped the J'naii rescue the crew of one of their shuttlecraft trapped in a pocket of null space. During the planning stages of the mission, he became close to one of their pilots, Soren. The two were attracted to one another, a relationship forbidden by the oppressive government of the J'naii. Their relationship was discovered and Soren arrested. She was given psychological treatment to remove her inclinations to be female. With help from Worf, Riker mounted an illicit rescue mission, but was too late. She refused to go along with him and did not wish to be returned to the way she was before treatment. ( ) Kamala, a Kriosian empathic metamorph, tried to work her charms on Riker in 2368. He was able to resist her, but needed to visit the holodeck after the encounter. ( ) Amanda Rogers came aboard the Enterprise in 2369. She had a somewhat obvious crush on Commander Riker, which he found flattering but did not reciprocate. Q used her interest in him to discern whether or not she had the abilities of the Q, causing several cargo barrels to fall from a ledge onto Riker. Amanda deflected the barrels to Riker's side. Later, after Q had begun to tempt Amanda with her new-found abilities, she abducted Riker and brought him to a romantic fantasy environment. Will still turned down her advances, but Amanda then used her powers to cause him to fall in love with her. Ultimately, Amanda realized that the encounter was devoid of meaning, and sent him back to the Enterprise. ( ) Will dated a new tactical officer, Rebecca Smith, in 2370. They went for a walk in the arboretum and became intimate, but the mood was ruined when Riker rolled into Cyprion cactus and was stuck by several thorns. ( ) Deanna Troi ]] Deanna Troi and Will Riker began an intense and close relationship shortly following his posting to Betazed. They referred to each other as imzadi, a Betazoid word for "beloved". Troi apparently taught Riker how to communicate telepathically, but he seemed to lose the ability by 2364. ( ) Will later remarked that he knew Deanna better than anyone. ( ) One of their favorite and most special locations was Janaran Falls. After Will was transferred to the Potemkin, the two stayed in touch and planned to meet at Risa in 2361, but Will was promoted shortly after the Nervala IV mission and forced to cancel their date. He made his career a priority over their relationship, and gradually, they lost touch and did not see one another until they were both posted to the new USS Enterprise in 2364. ( ) It was difficult to see each other again, and Troi tried to speak to Riker alone during their mission to Farpoint Station. He maintained a distance, and she did not make another attempt. ( ) They eventually decided to keep a professional yet friendly relationship. They stayed close friends and confidantes, often approaching each other either to talk or for support in times of crisis. ( ) As first officer and counselor, they were required to manage crew evaluations every three months. ( ) While under the influence of the polywater intoxication in 2364, Troi attempted to seduce Riker, but Will maintained control and brought her to sickbay. ( ) Will was dismayed to learn of Deanna's betrothal to Wyatt Miller in 2364. Deanna reassured him that he would always be a special part of his life and that she still cared for him greatly. Will was delighted when Deanna remained aboard the Enterprise after Wyatt left to help the Tarellians recover from a plague. ( ) Will and Deanna attended the funeral service for Natasha Yar together after she was killed by Armus in 2364. Riker comforted Deanna during and following the event. ( ) Troi was impregnated by an alien life form in early 2365. Riker had mixed feelings about the pregnancy and resultant child, but was with Deanna for the birth and supported her during the ordeal, especially after the child sacrificed himself to save the Enterprise. ( ) Troi was visibly upset when Riker almost accepted assignment to the Aries in 2365. ( ) When Riker was affected by the predatory plant microbe picked up on Surata IV, Deanna stayed with him through his convalescence. She was present during his treatment and relayed the emotions Will was experiencing to Dr. Pulaski, giving her indication of which memories to activate and which to suppress. ( ) During the negotiations for the Barzan wormhole in 2366, Riker was challenged by the Chrysalian representative, Devinoni Ral, in more ways than one. Ral and Deanna began a romantic relationship, and Ral used this to intimidate Riker. However, the Barzan wormhole was later determined to be worthless and Riker gleefully withdrew the Federation bid in front of Ral, who had just secured rights for the Chrysalians through underhanded means. ( ) Later that year, Troi backed off when Riker made his interest in Yuta known. ( ) She stood by him after he was accused of Dr. Nel Apgar's murder, even when it seemed as if he was guilty. After he was exonerated, she squeezed his hand in affection. ( ) The couple tried to take a romantic holiday on Betazed in 2366, but were interrupted by Lwaxana Troi. A Ferengi DaiMon, Tog, later arrived to kidnap Lwaxana, taking Troi and Riker with her. They later engineered an escape and were rescued by the Enterprise. ( ) The Enterprise became trapped by two-dimensional lifeforms in early 2367. They also suppressed Deanna's telepathic abilities and she found it difficult to deal with her loss. Will tried to help her cope with the trauma, but she resisted. He then called her "aristocratic" and thought she was upset because her empathic powers helped her feel superior to her shipmates. When the Enterprise was freed, her abilities were restored. She apologized to Will, but also made it clear that he was not to call her aristocratic again. ( ) Will and Deanna attended the wedding of Keiko and Miles O'Brien together. ( ) Sometime prior to 2368, Riker and Troi had a romantic encounter following a poker night. Troi was reluctant to continue a relationship at the time and the incident remained isolated. ( ) Both Riker and Troi were affected by the Satarran energy weapon, but Deanna still felt a connection to Will. Her suspicions were confirmed when Riker found a copy of Ode to Psyche given to him by Troi, with the inscription "To Will, all my love, Deanna". ( ) When Riker expressed interest in Soren, he went to see Deanna in order to gain her approval of the relationship. Once again, Deanna assured him that they would always be special to one another, even if they saw other people. ( ) Ambassador Ves Alkar telepathically linked with Deanna in 2369, using her as a receptacle for his "psychic waste". Deanna's behavior was drastically altered and she began to rapidly age due to the stress. She appeared for a crew evaluation meeting with Riker in a seductive outfit, then revealing that she had just slept with a male junior officer. Riker claimed that he felt her lovelife was none of his business, but Troi continued to press the issue, causing Riker to leave. Troi later tried to kiss Riker, then scratched him for no apparent reason. Riker reported this behavior to Dr. Crusher, who uncovered Alkar's plan and broke his link with Troi. Deanna thanked Will for his support, and he promised to love her even when she becomes old and gray. ( ) The discovery of Riker's double on Nervala IV complicated his relationship with Deanna. That Riker had spent eight years pining for Deanna, and was eager to resume their relationship. He tried to have her transferred to the Gandhi, but she refused, not wanting to give up the life she spent so long building on the Enterprise. ( ) Lwaxana Troi felt that Riker was partially the reason Deanna was still unmarried by 2370. While suffering from strain due to repeated telepathic contact with the Cairn, Lwaxana approached Will in Ten Forward and yelled at him, telling him to leave Deanna alone. She later had Deanna apologize for her behavior. ( ) Troi attempted the Bridge Officer's test in 2370. Riker supervised the tests, and did not show any favoritism towards Deanna. After she attempted the engineering qualification several times without much luck, he came to tell her the tests were canceled. However, he also gave her a hint which told her that the test was really about her ability to send a crewmember to his death. ( ) Worf began courting Deanna in 2370, thankful for all of the help she provided in Alexander's care over the prior two years. ( ) Worf was concerned that Riker may have felt betrayed by their relationship, and wanted to discuss the issue with Riker late that year. ( ) Will and Deanna stayed friends into their early years aboard the Enterprise-E. He helped her nurse the outcome of an alcohol binge instigated by Zefram Cochrane while they were trying to convince him to conduct his warp flight in 2063. ( ) However, things changed when they encountered the radiation of Ba'ku in 2375. They began to playfully flirt with one another and ended up taking a bubble bath together. Their rekindled romance continued after the Enterprise left the Briar Patch. ( ) The two were to vacation at Pebble Beach on Earth in 2377. Deanna arrived first; Will was going to meet her a few days later. They later decided to go to Tiburon instead. They invited Reg Barclay to accompany them, wanting to introduce him to a mutual friend, Maril. ( ) Will and Deanna were finally married in 2379, shortly before their transfer to the . Their wedding party in Alaska included Captain Picard as best man, Dr. Crusher as bridesmaid, and Data, La Forge, Worf, and Wesley Crusher as groomsmen. Guinan was also present. Another ceremony, a traditional Betazoid wedding was planned on Betazed shortly following. However, that ceremony was delayed when the Enterprise was diverted to Romulus. ( ) Alternate realities and timelines In 2366, the emerged from a temporal rift. Its disappearance from the year 2344 caused an altered timeline, where the Federation was losing a war against the Klingons. Riker was still the ship's first officer, but he was much more toughened due to the horrors of war. He questioned the plan to send the Enterprise-C back to the past, especially after Captain Rachel Garrett was killed, but Captain Picard allowed Richard Castillo to assume command and return the Enterprise-C to 2344. Riker later worked the tactical station following Tasha Yar's transfer to the Enterprise-C but was killed in a subsequent Klingon attack. ( ) In 2367, Beverly Crusher became trapped in a warp bubble. Her thoughts created a universe where people and objects rapidly began disappearing. Riker was one of the last Enterprise crewmembers to vanish. ( ) Lieutenant Worf encountered a quantum fissure which caused him to begin shifting between quantum realities in 2370. In several universes, Riker was still Enterprise first officer, and planned a surprise birthday party for Worf even though he made it expressly clear he did not want one. In others, he had been promoted to captain. In the final universe in which Worf arrived, Riker was the captain, as Captain Picard was lost in the Borg encounter of 2367. In another reality, the Borg had invaded the Federation and the Enterprise was one of the few ships left. Riker was in command of that ship as well, and was desperate not to return to his universe once all of the Enterprises began spilling into a single universe. After attempting to get the attention of the present-reality Enterprise by firing lightly upon them, the Borg-infested ship was destroyed by Capt. Riker with the alternate Riker onboard to prevent further damage to his ship. The events following Worf's encounter were erased from the timeline once the fissure was sealed. ( ) In an alternate 2364, Riker was left on Farpoint Station when the Enterprise was diverted to investigate a temporal anomaly in the Devron system. In an alternate 2370, Riker became uncomfortable with the growing relationship between Worf and Deanna, but he refused to voice his concern. In an unknown, alternate future timeframe, Riker had been promoted to admiral and was assigned to Starbase 247. The USS Enterprise-D, substantially refitted and upgraded, was his flagship. In this timeline, Deanna Troi had died twenty years previously, causing Worf and Will to become estranged, as both blamed the other for preventing a relationship with her. Picard contacted him for help in investigating the anomaly, but Riker refused to allow him passage to the Neutral Zone, thinking Picard had been affected by Irumodic Syndrome and was delusional. Later, Picard convinced his ex-wife, Beverly Picard, to take her medical ship, the , to investigate the anomaly. The Pasteur was attacked and destroyed by Klingon battleships, but the Enterprise arrived to rescue the crew and fight off the Klingons. Immediately, Worf and Riker began to bicker. Picard once again pleaded with Riker to return to the Devron system, but he was then sedated and returned to quarters. Armed with new information gathered from the other two timeframes, Picard woke and went to talk to Riker and the other former Enterprise officers. He convinced them that the anomaly existed, and the Enterprise returned just in time to watch it form. Riker ordered the Enterprise into the anomaly, where it used a static warp shell in concert with the other Enterprises to collapse it. After the anomaly was sealed, the timelines were erased and only Captain Picard retained memory of those events. Picard told his staff of his experiences in the future, in hopes that things such as the conflict between Worf and Riker never happen. ( ) Miscellaneous information Riker's Starfleet serial number was SC 231-427. ( ) His quarters on the Enterprise-D were on Deck 8, room 0912. ( ) By 2369, Riker had been decorated by Starfleet five times. ( ) Sometime between 2369 and 2370 Riker replaced the trombone that he gifted Thomas Riker with a King 3B 2103 "Legend" Tenor Trombone. ( ) Riker spoke "a little" of the Klingon language ( ) and had a rudimentary knowledge of the Romulan language, specifically Romulan curses. ( ) Sometime between 2364 and 2365, Riker grew a beard because he was tired of people always telling him how young he looked. ( ) He also felt the beard was a proud, ancient tradition and a symbol of strength. However, he did not see it as an affectation and would not be opposed to shaving it; he had just gotten used to it. ( ) He briefly shaved it in 2375 after he resumed his relationship with Deanna Troi. ( ) :Jonathan Frakes grew the beard during the hiatus before TNG's second season as he dislikes shaving. He returned to rehearsal before shaving it. The producers liked the change and asked him to keep the beard, although a fictional reason was not given until five years later. In Reg Barclay's holofantasies of the Enterprise crew programmed in 2366, Riker was a short toady who followed The Three Musketeers: Picard, Data, and La Forge. Riker was incensed to discover his holosimulation, which Troi believed Reg made short on purpose because Riker's height may have been intimidating. Riker then deleted the character. ( ) Q "called" Riker to testify during the trial held to determine whether or not the Q later known as Quinn should be allowed to die. The trial was held in 2372 aboard the USS Voyager, while it was still lost in the Delta Quadrant, and Q plucked Riker from a time period shortly before 2371. Riker explained the significance of a portrait of his ancestor, Thaddius "Iron Boots" Riker, colonel of the 102nd New York Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War, and later realized that Quinn was standing next to Thaddius, as he had saved Thaddius from death during the Battle of Pine Mountain. Q concluded by saying that had Quinn never existed, Q would have lost at least a dozen really good opportunities to insult Riker over the years. Riker was then returned to his timeframe without any knowledge of being aboard Voyager. ( ) :It is uncertain from what year Riker originated; he was wearing the TNG-style uniform and combadge yet seemed to recognize that Janeway was captain of ''Voyager, perhaps indicating a year of 2370, which was the last year the TNG insignia was used and sufficiently close enough to the 2371 launch of Voyager for Janeway's assignment to the ship to be known.'' Cronologia ;1893 : Arriva nel passato dall'anno 2368 a San Francisco. ;2063 : Arriva nel passato dall'anno 2373. Participa allo storico volo della Phoenix come membro dell'equipaggio di Zefram Cochrane, sebbene la storia non registri questo fino al 2373. ;2335 : Nasce a Valdez, Alaska, sulla Terra. ;2337 : La madre di Will, Betty, muore. ;2350 : A quindici anni Will è abbandonato da suo padre Kyle Riker. ;2357 : Riker si laurea all'Accademia della Flotta Stellare. Sette mesi più tardi, è assegnato alla sotto Erik Pressman. ;2357 : Participa a un contro-ammutinamento dopo che lo staff senior della Pegasus si ribella contro Pressman e il suo uso di un dispositivo di occultamento di interfase illegale. È uno dei pochi superstiti dopo la perdita della nave. ;Un'epoca tra il 2357 e il 2361 : Assegnato alla base su Betazed. Incontra Deanna Troi e inizia una importante relazione romantica. ;2361 : Mentre è a bordo della , un incidente al teletrasporto su Nervala IV crea un duplicato di Riker, più tardi conosciuto come Thomas Riker. Riker è promosso a Tenente comandante per il suo eccezionale valore durante l'incidente. ; : Assume la posizione di ufficiale esecutivo sulla . ; : Infine perde contatto con Deanna Troi. Non si vedono fino a tre anni più tardi. ;2364 : Rifiuta il comando della per diventare il primo ufficiale della nuova . ;2365 : Si riconcilia con Kyle Riker dopo che gli viene offerto il grado di capitano della . Più tardi rifiuta quel comando. ;2366 : Riker rifiuta un altro comando, la , prima che la nave venga distrutta a Wolf 359. ;2367 : Riker è temporaneamente promosso a Capitano e brevemente assume il comando della Enterprise-D finchè il Capitano Picard è salvato dai Borg. ;2369 : Il duplicato del teletrasporto di Riker è salvato da Nervala IV. Egli assume il nome di Thomas Riker. ;2370 : Gli eventi che circondano la scomparsa della Pegasus vengono rivelati da Riker quando la nave è trovata nel sistema di Devolin. Riker affronta un problema legale ma rimane assegnato all'Enterprise. ;2371 : L'Enterprise-D viene distrutta. ;2372 : Si trasferisce sulla . ;2375 : Riprende la relazione con Deanna Troi. ;2379 : Sposa Deanna Troi. Assume il comando della . Appendici Apparizioni *''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (in tutti gli episodi) * * (VOY Stagione 2) * * * * (ENT Stagione 4) Background Jonathan Frakes first portrayed Riker in , the character's debut appearance and the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Frakes starred as Riker throughout the series' entire seven-year run and in all four spin-off motion pictures. He also made crossover appearances in (playing Riker's duplicate, Thomas Riker), , and . Riker narrated the commentary on the Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive Technical Manual and also appeared in the original Star Trek: The Experience: Klingon Encounter ride at the Las Vegas Hilton. The original concept of Will Riker had much in common with the Willard Decker character as intended for Star Trek: Phase II; indeed, the background story of the love affair between Riker and Troi is somewhat similar to that of Decker and Ilia as seen in . During the early production stages of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Riker's name was spelled "Ryker." According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, his description in the original casting call was as follows: :NUMBER ONE (AKA WILLIAM RYKER) – A 30-35 year old Caucasian born in Alaska. He is a pleasant looking man with sex appeal, of medium height, very agile and strong, a natural psychologist. Number One, as he is usually called, is second in command of the Enterprise and has a very strong, solid relationship with the Captain. Other background details which were eventually added to Riker's preproduction character bio claim Riker "doesn't fully appreciate the female need to be needed" and that he is "privately called William by Picard and Bill by 'female friends'" (Deanna did refer to him as "Bill" in and , although this nickname was apparently dropped in favor of Will). The preferred spelling of "Will" is not clear: scripts and closed captioning often alternate between "Wil" and "Will." Among the actors originally auditioning for the role of William T. Riker was Jeffrey Combs who would later be cast in no less than eight separate roles including major characters Shran, Brunt and Weyoun. William O. Campbell (who would later be seen as Thadiun Okona in ) and Vaughn Armstrong (who played a number of roles in various Trek series, starting with Korris in and culminating with the recurring role of Maxwell Forrest in Star Trek: Enterprise) also auditioned for the role. Apocrifi Nel futuro alternativo della serie di libri DS9 Millennium, Riker viene nominato capitano della Enterprise-F dopo che Jean-Luc Picard è promosso ad ammiraglio. Tra il suo equipaggio ci sono Deanna Troi, Geordi La Forge, Tom Paris, e B'Elanna Torres. Comunque, l'Enterprise-F viene perduta con tutti i membri dell'equipaggio durante una battaglia sanguinosa con i Grigari. Questa linea temporale viene infine cancellata. Prima che il secondo nome di Riker fosse stabilito come "Thomas", è stato dato come "Thelonius" – probabilmente richiamando il famoso musicista jazz Thelonius Monk, in modo da rispecchiare l'amore di Riker per questo stile musicale – nel romanzo di Peter David, Imzadi. Collegamento esterno cs:William T. Riker de:William Thomas Riker en:William T. Riker es:William Riker fr:William T. Riker nl:William T. Riker pl:William T. Riker sv:William T. Riker Riker, William Riker, William Riker, William Riker, William Riker, William Riker, William T. Riker, William T. Riker, William T.